Project: Terminator
by Houkaru Kisaragi
Summary: Amongst the midst of battles, an enigma's presence changes the courses of history.
1. Chapter 1

Project: Terminator

Summary: Amongst the midst of battles, an enigma's presence changes the courses of history.

Disclaimer: I don't own both Ikkitousen and Naruto.

-X-

"Hey, Yun-chan, why do you always squint your eyes?" A blonde boy, barely five, sat on the swing beside his curious companion. His fishing rod situated comfortably on his shoulder.

"I don't squint, Naruto-san. I only closed them to conserve energy. There isn't any need to open them anyway. A true warrior feels his or her vicinity and make it part of him or her. A true warrior feels the echoes produced by the reverberation of footsteps and determine the enemy's location. A warrior feels the world around him or her and strikes with precision accuracy and at the appropriate timing. One requires not just logic, but instincts to guide them for a smooth victory." The girl said softly as she sat beside her friend, her hands clutching on the steel chains that held her seat in suspension.

Truth be told, Chou'un Shiryuu wasn't sure whether the boy saw her as a friend or not. She only found him a few weeks ago being attacked by mobsters. The fury of righteousness burns within her and she assaulted those bullies, saving the boy in the process. From that day onwards, whenever Chou'un returned to the playground, she would inevitably find the boy greeting her with a cheery smile. Unlike other boys, Naruto wore a silver coloured shirt with the sentence, 'I fish for fish!' imprinted on the fabric in black ink and a casual pair of jeans; he pretty much looked like a street urchin.

"But why do we need to fight? Are battles really that necessary for you, Yun-chan?"

"A warrior cannot seat idly by and debilitate his or her strengths purposely. One must-"

"But I don't want you to get hurt, Yun-chan." Naruto protested, which caused the girl to blush unconsciously. "I believe true victory comes from a benevolent purpose, maybe a slight tweak of wit here and there, but ultimately, if a battle can seek victory without violence, it is the best victory."

"…Really? Is this how you feel? Is this why you don't stand up for yourself, Naruto-san?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. I don't mind them beating me up. I'm not a masochist, if you're thinking that way. I just feel that they are too young to understand the notion of violence. I forgive them for their ignorance."

Chou'un couldn't help but giggled lightly at the blonde's dramatic speech. "You speak like a wise, old man, Naruto-san."

"R-Really?" Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, embarrassed by his friend's comment. "I look stupid, don't I? Hehe."

"No, Naruto-san. I find that part of you very attractive. Putting into account of the fact that you're only at my age and yet you speak such profound wisdom, I am impressed." Chou'un smiled benignly and caught a glimpse of the fishing rod resting on the boy's shoulder. She had opted to ask for an inquiry of that equipment and now was her chance. "So, why do you carry that fishing rod with you all the time? Do you like fishing?"

"Why do you carry that sword with you all the time, Yun-can?"

"Because it is my lifetime partner. I live, the sword lives. I die, the sword dies. This is the conduct of foundation all warriors must carry." Chou'un lectured.

"Then you have already answered your question." Naruto stated cryptically.

"What do you mean, Naruto-san?"

"I like fishing." The blonde chuckled impishly, which caused Chou'un to pout uncharacteristically. Naruto found his friend's girlish demeanour rather appealing. She was always smiling while emitting an aura of maturity and potent strength. Chou'un was the type of girl who didn't know how to express their emotions, but Naruto understood the partial reasons. She was an orphan living in a monastery and had spent her time training diligently. Her childhood revolved around growing stronger and besting superior opponents; they termed her a prodigy amongst prodigies.

"Why do you like fishing, Naruto-san?"

"Why do you like training, Yun-chan?"

"It's because I need to become stronger so I can protect those I loved."

"My reason isn't a far cry from yours."

Chou'un arched a perplexed brow. "How would your fishing let you protect those you love?"

"How would violence allow you to protect those you love?"

"It's because… it's because… I… need to become stronger…" The girl stammered, struggling to find her purpose in her regime.

Naruto flicked the girl's forehead comically and Chou'un winced, nursing the sore spot instinctively. "Oww… W-Why do you do that for, Naruto-san?"

"You didn't reply to my question. Until you can find an answer, your questions remain ambiguous." The blonde grinned as he swung his dangling feet, appreciating the orange rays radiating from the sun, which was gradually descending through the horizon.

"So… where do you live, Naruto-san?"

"Hmm? Oh, somewhere far away. Even if I tell you where it is, you won't be able to find it. And if I bring you there, you won't be able to return." Naruto said, but fixated his gaze at the sun.

"I don't understand, Naruto-san."

"This universe is a mystery from the start. You can't understand everything. Appreciate what you have understood now and be pleased about it." The blonde stood up, dusted his pants and flashed a toothy grin at his friend. "I'll meet you here tomorrow, okay, Yun-chan?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, but nodded.

"That's a promise!" Naruto ran and Chou'un watched as the boy disappeared from the crowd.

The girl finally realised something important; she knew nothing about the boy, except his favourite food was ramen and his favourite hobby was fishing. Other than that, Naruto was an embodiment of a puzzle.

-X-

Shiba'i Chuutatsu loved the ocean; its empyreal blue, its soothing breezes and its crashing waves brought serenity to her soul. She only realised in depth of her Magatama and the accursed power it possessed recently. Unhesitatingly, she went to the local library and read about the book called, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It was her instincts that compelled her to do so and she was engrossed in capturing the details of the context. When she finished reading the book, she concluded that she had only two nemeses that would inadvertently obstruct her path.

Sousou Moutoku and Shokatsuryou Koumei would be the ones who would plot her demise.

But the ocean robbed those horrid memories from her. The ocean took away the pain she suffered from her siblings' constant abuses. She had many brother and sisters, no thanks to her parents. No, she didn't know how many parents she had. Her father divorced her mother and had a mistress, and then those events accumulated to incessant chains of mishaps and torments.

Her guitar and the ocean were invaluable to her. She had to work extra hard to buy her precious guitar and for a little girl like her, she was outmatched by those who were older than her. She could only do jobs under harsh conditions and she received a terribly low income as a result. It took her two years to finally be able to buy her first guitar.

However, she hated to be interrupted when she was alone seating on the beach.

There was this boy who had invaded her sanctuary.

The beach didn't belong to her, but she was sure nobody came to that segment of the place.

After all, she never accepted miscalculations lightly.

It was unnerving and it tended to harm egos.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Shiba'i walked, in an unstable gait, towards the blonde boy, who was seating at the edge of the harbour with a fishing rod in hand. "Hey, why are you fishing out here? Those ocean fishes don't swim to swallow places like here."

The boy didn't respond and it only caused to aggravate Shiba'i.

If there was one thing the girl hated the most, it was to be ignored.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Shhh…" The blonde placed a finger on his lips and frowned. "You'll scare off the fishes."

"Idiot! There are no fishes here!" The girl noticed that there was no hook on the fishing rod. What kind of idiot fished without a hook or a bait? "You must be a troubled child."

"You make lovely music."

Shiba'i was taken aback by the compliment and was flustered. "H-Have you been listening?"

"I was only attracted by your music. I'm sure your music will lead the fishes to me."

"You're flattering me." The girl sat beside the boy and secured her guitar beside her; she was overprotective of her possessions, especially her guitar. "It's kinda dark here now. Why don't you go home?"

"It's getting darker now, why aren't you going home?"

"Hey! Don't reply my question with a similar question." Shiba'i fumed indignantly.

"I assure you I'm not. You ask me why I'm not going home, but why are you not going home?"

Shiba'i averted her eyes. "I don't have a home."

"Do you mean you don't count your house you are currently living in as a home, or are you an orphan with a home?"

"You sure know how to decipher interpretations."

"Your lack of an actual response tells me one thing." The blonde smiled sadly at the girl, as if he was empathising with her. "You are living under those conditions I have mentioned before. Your parents don't care about you and you live in a house where you don't like. You might as well be an orphan. Am I not right?"

"Perceptive. I'm getting scared now. If you're older, I might actually have to hit you with my guitar for being a stalker or a possible paedophile. But if my guitar is broken from that ordeal, I might have to kill you to avenge my precious." Shiba'i whipped her eyes up and down, trying to scrutinise the boy keenly. "You look about the same age as me, but you speak like an old man. I wonder why."

"So I've been told." The boy scratched his wild locks of golden hair slyly. "Do I look weird like that?"

"Yes, very much." The girl smiled warmly. "In a good way though. I'm Shiba'i Chuutatsu."

"That's a very nice name." The boy continued to stare at the ocean impassively, as if waiting for a fish to actually be hooked by a fishing rod with no hooks. Unbelievable. Shiba'i was starting to question the boy's mentality.

"Hmph! You're supposed to tell me your name." Shiba'i pouted.

"Oh? I'm not familiar with such interactions. I'm Naruto." The blonde grinned.

"Hm? You don't have a surname?"

"A name is only a preference for others to call upon with either respect or disdain. Surname doesn't matter much."

"You know, I'm starting to think that you might be an old geezer's incarnation."

The boy only chortled. "Maybe I am."

Naruto spent the rest of his night fishing while leaning his back against Shiba'i's lithe frame, much to her annoyance. The girl spent her night practicing her guitar while chattering with her new enigmatic friend. Somewhat, Shiba'i wanted to know more about the boy.

He was different than many boys she had met.

That's for sure.

-X-

Kanu Unchou was a formidable warrior since the day she could walk. Although she had a loving father, her stepmother was phony and cruel and would vent her anger at her from time to time. She spent most of her day at an abandoned temple located on the outskirt of the town and trained. Yes, training was her hobby, period. She had been mocked by her classmates for being a tomboy, but she just pummelled them to unrecognisable trashes.

She knew about the existence of the Magatama, and though terrified by its ominous strength, she accepted her fate. It eventually led her to find the legendary Blue Dragon Crescent Blade, a pole-arm crafted by excessive amount of jewels, buried on some wasteland located in the middle of nowhere. Whether how she ended up in a middle of nowhere was a mystery.

She was annoyed by one thing though. A blonde boy found her hideout by pure luck. She would try her hardest to ignore the existence of the boy, but his constant whistling and attentive gazes were perturbing. He would seat on a broken bench silently and watched her trained vigorously. Enough was enough; Kanu stormed towards the boy and hoisted his collar, her eyes glowing threateningly. "What is your problem, brat? Can't you see I'm training here?"

"I am truly confused." A mischievous smile curled up his lips. "Are you blind?"

"What?" Kanu was enraged.

"I was watching you the whole time. That means I am indeed _seeing _you train. Besides, I'm just as old as you. You can't call me a brat." Naruto tried his best to remove those death grips but to no avail could he shake them off. "I'm getting a bit uncomfortable here."

"So am I!"

The blonde blinked. "If you're uncomfortable then why are you holding my collar?"

"I am uncomfortable of you watching me train, shrimp!" Kanu bellowed.

"Oh." Naruto chuckled. "I find you very beautiful when you perform those moves with grace. I'll say you're a natural. There is nothing to be ashamed of that."

Kanu dropped the boy and flushed a deep crimson at the boy's praise. "S-Shut up! Leave me alone!"

"This isn't your property."

"I have a weapon and I'm not afraid to use it on shrimps like you! I will stab you good if you don't leave!" Kanu seized her Blue Dragon Crescent Blade and aimed its tip intimidatingly at the boy's neck. "This is the last warning!"

"If you win a war without arduous battles and pointless violence, you will become the most honourable fighter in a battlefield." Naruto pointed at Kanu's head and smirked. "If you use more of this, you will amount to many things."

"Are you saying I'm stupid?"

"Are you?" Naruto's impish grin only served to irritate Kanu tremendously.

"Y-You… You idiot!" The girl swung that oversized weapon at the boy recklessly; however, Naruto only evaded those strikes effortlessly. "If you relax your hold a bit, pull back a bit more before you swing and shift your momentum into body weight, your attacks will cause more damages."

"I don't need you to teach me!"

(An hour of dodging and battle cries…)

Naruto was seating on the bench, fanning himself with his hand and nibbling on his bun. Kanu, in the other hand, lied on the ground, sweating profusely and utterly defeated. What truly hurt Kanu's pride was the fact that the blonde didn't even retaliate with any strikes from her persistent onslaught; he only ducked clumsily and laughed at her failed attempts of bifurcating him. She was defeated by her lack of stamina. Hell, Naruto was only sweating a bit.

Kanu hated being dominated and she scorned those who dared to even think about that, but Naruto was overpowering her with his shrewd moves. The blonde offered a bun to Kanu but the girl spat at the food. Naruto took back the bun and devoured it, much to Kanu's disgust. He was swallowing her spit! That's gross! "You… why don't… you just… give me… the final blow!"

"Final blow? What final blow?" Naruto scratched his cheeks absently before a proverbial light bulb shined in his mind. "Do you mean this?"

The blonde raised a hand, eclipsing the sun climatically before bringing it down. Kanu thought she was doomed and cursed her stupidity. She didn't want to die! She had many things to do. She was only astounded when she felt a soft hand ruffling her hair. "What conditioner did you use? Your hair is very smooth."

"Y-You…"

Kanu's blush only deepened when Naruto placed her head on his lap and removed the dirt from her face. "You have a nice skin. Dark complexion but very nice indeed."

"P-Pervert!" The girl punched the boy in the face before standing up hastily. "I'm Kanu Unchou! You better remember that name because the next time you hear it, it will be your last!"

Naruto rubbed his bruised nose as tears started to swell in his eyes. Kanu felt guilty punching him and found those whisker marks on his cheeks very adorable, but shoved those ideas away and snarled vehemently. "You're supposed to tell me your name!"

"…I'm Naruto."

"…That's it?"

"Yes."

"You don't have any surnames?"

"No." Naruto glared at Kanu childishly; his nose still hurt.

"Why not?"

"Because I just don't."

"You're lying."

"You never lie in your entire life?"

Kanu narrowed her eyes to vicious slits. "I, Kanu Unchou, never lie! I honour my honours with pride. Lies with only blemish my honours!"

"Deceptions are part of tactics. It always lures naïve people like you to the abyssal pits of death. A human won't be a human if he or she never lies before."

Kanu stuck her tongue out juvenilely at the boy and spun around. "I don't need no tactics to win! And I'm not ordinary human! You better be here tomorrow."

"Why?"

"So I can defeat you, shrimp!" With that, Kanu ran away with her pole-arm. She didn't notice that she was blushing the entire way to home.

-X-

Ryofu Housen grew up in an orphanage and was raised by a cantankerous woman who always called her an attention seeking whore. She had to toughen her own façade to protect herself. She was a prankster in heart and though jovial, she was terrorised by the caretakers who always sexually abused the other orphans. She always ran away from the orphanage in the morning and returned at night; when interrogated, she gave feasible excuses to rid the morbid fascination from the caretaker.

Her latest prank was to implant a beehive into the caretaker's bedroom and be intoxicated by her screams. Yes, she wanted to hear those screams of horror so very much. Ryofu was a sadist, she admitted but who could blame her? She was only bemused when a blonde agreed to help her.

"Are you new in town?" Ryofu asked buoyantly.

"Yes, I met many interesting people here but I haven't met a prankster yet."

"Te-he, I'm honoured. Now, how do we throw that beehive into that bitch's room?"

"Easy! Here!" Naruto raised his fishing rod like it was a trophy and they stared at it in awe.

"You're brilliant!" Ryofu giggled and caught sight of Naruto's whisker marks; she assumed they were birthmarks and were highly amused by them, but didn't declare her opinions to the boy. What were important now were their sinister plan and the beehive!

"I know I'm awesome."

Ryofu studied the rod and cocked a brow. "Where's the hook?"

"I don't have a hook. It hurts when it hooks on me."

"No, silly! If you don't have a hook, how can we hook that beehive up?"

"Why do we need a hook?"

"To hook the beehive!" Ryofu was growing impatient steadily.

"But why a hook?"

"It makes things easily."

"No it doesn't." Naruto folded his arms and shut his eyes haughtily.

"Idiot! We need to find a hook!"

"No! It might hook on me and it hurts!"

"Are you a fisherboy?"

"No, I'm just a boy."

Ryofu rolled her eyes. "Whatever! You fish with a hook, you should have one."

"No I don't. I fish without a hook."

"What? Are you shitting me?" Ryofu was starting to think that the boy might have some loose wires in his head or something. Which idiot in this world fished without a hook? No, that's not the point. "Tell me, how do you intend to get the beehive from there to that bedroom? It's now or never!"

Naruto sighed and conceded. The boy held the fishing rod up high and thrust it forward. The feeble-looking strings sailed through the air before furling over the brunch directly beside the beehive. Ryofu beamed ecstatically and hugged the boy. "Yay! We did it!"

"No, we didn't. I did it. You did nothing." Naruto said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're mean!" Ryofu pouted.

"No, I'm just practical. Now…" A wicked grin plastered on Naruto's face and it was infectious; Ryofu had a similar malevolent grin tugging at her lips as well. Applying with slight forces, Naruto managed to break the brunch and threw the beehive into the window. Ryofu giggled and counted. "3…2…1…"

As anticipated, a shriek blared so loud, it had alarmed the entire village.

Naruto and Ryofu were laughing at the rooftops, clutching their stomach from their hysteria. When their laughter subsided, the girl sighed in content. "Thanks for the day."

"No problem." The blonde grinned.

Unexpectedly, Ryofu straddled Naruto's hip and smirked deviously. "I should repay you for the fun you've given me."

"W-What? But that was for my own entertainme- mmgh!" Naruto was silenced by Ryofu's kiss. For what seemed like an eternity of passions had passed, the girl pulled away gently and smirked. "That's my first kiss. You must be responsible for it and marry me when we grow older."

"Huh? That's my first kiss too! You have to take responsibility for stealing my virgin lips!" Naruto protested, completely neglected, or possibly unfazed by Ryofu's impromptu request about marriage. Since Ryofu wasn't even concerned by the blonde's whining, therefore, Naruto used his final tactics. He collapsed to the ground and started crying.

"Since when did boys ask girls to take responsibility for their lewd actions?" Ryofu placed a hand on her hip.

"Since… uh… today! I'm the one here whose being violated, you know?" Naruto continued to weep pathetically, trashing his hands and legs like a lunatic.

Satisfied by Naruto's defeat, Ryofu chortled in victory. "Yes! It is I, Ryofu Housen, who steals your first kiss!"

Reminiscing about the kiss, Ryofu blushed. "Besides, that's my first kiss too."

The girl hid her embarrassment and looked away.

Naruto chuckled. "I'm Naruto."

"… Just Naruto?"

"Just Naruto."

-X-

Ukitsu prided herself as an esteem warrior who had an undying fighting spirit and an unquenched thirst for challenges. If anybody stood before her and demanded for a fight, she would never back down, even if it was for spite. Still, she was a perfectionist and was proud of her undefeatable records. She had heard the speculations involving a girl who seemed to wield a katana proficiently and had appeared in the playground numerously and was at her age. Also, there was another rumour stating that another girl was seen carrying a spear strolling through town aimlessly.

She would find those potential combatants and challenge them to a duel. Now, she needed to train. And to train, she needed to be alone. Her favourite training ground was at the riverbanks of a waterfall. Nature's beauty was unfathomably unquestionable. She loved the sound of the cascading water colliding against the beneath surface, sending scattering ripples in its doings.

However, there was an oddity in her imagination. Nobody fished near a waterfall; at least, Ukitsu had never seen anybody fishing near her training ground.

It was unsettling and Ukitsu didn't like to be unsettled.

The girl puffed her chest with newfound courage and confronted the boy. "Oi, this is my training spot. Shoo! Go away!"

"Really? I don't see your name carved anywhere here. It seems your statement is pretty contradictive, isn't it?"

Ukitsu shook her fist menacingly at the boy. "Don't make me hurt you!"

"I got my fair share of pain. Your punch won't hurt me… much." Umbrage clouding her judgement, the girl launched a fist forward, but to her surprise, the boy shifted slightly and had completely avoided her attack. Without hesitation, Ukitsu unleashed a barrage of punches and soon resorted to random kicks, turning her styles more predictable. Accidentally stumbling onto a wet rock, Ukitsu yelped as she lost her bearing and fell, taking the boy with her to the water as well.

Naruto was startled at the asserted force, pulling him into the lake. Luckily for him, it was shallow and the current was insufficient enough to knock them away. The boy felt an additional force upon his chest and found the girl atop of him, flustered in embarrassment… or anger.

Surveying his predicament, the boy abruptly broke into a series of laughter.

It was contagious. One moment, Ukitsu puffed her cheeks in petty rage, and the next, she accompanied the blonde and guffawed.

"Wow, that was classic." Naruto tilted his head and stared at the magnificent scenario of nature. "I see why you like this place."

Ukitsu sat on the blonde's lap, much to Naruto's chagrin and leaned her body against the boy's. "Yeah, I found this place when I got lost in the woods a few years ago."

"You're using me as a chair, aren't you?" The blonde's brow twitched.

"Yup! Be glad a girl is willing to do this on you."

"No, I'm not glad. You're heavy."

Ukitsu gasped in horror and twisted around in an inhumane speed before delivering a harsh slap across Naruto's face. "How dare you! Never, I mean NEVER, call a lady heavy!"

The blonde deadpanned and rubbed his swollen cheek. "There is absolutely no need to hit me just to get your point across. Damn it, what's with me and violent girls? I always have to meet the feisty ones. This is probably God's sign. A sign of telling me that I have no luck with girls. Is this what you want to do? Answer me, Kami!"

"Shut up. Be glad a girl is willing to slap you and not kick you in the balls."

Naruto sighed and scratched his hair. "Girls are so troublesome. Are we going to stay on the lake all day or what? My underwear is wet."

Ukitsu flushed five different shades of pink and jolted up before skipping towards the shore. The blonde stood up, muttering incoherent matters under his breath and followed the girl. Fortunately, his fishing rod was unharmed or there would be hell to pay! The girl shook herself like some wild animal, spraying water droplets all over her surrounding and Naruto was practically speechless; what's with girls nowadays? Extending a friendly handshake, Ukitsu smirked. "I'm Ukitsu, by the way."

"If I'm not wrong, I'm supposed to say my name, right?"

"Well, duh. That's called being polite."

Naruto stared at Ukitsu's hand and queried. "What are you doing?"

"Offering a handshake!" The girl was doubtful of the boy's social life; he probably had none, what a sad child, not that she had any rights to condescend him in the first place.

"Oh. So what am I supposed to do with a handshake?"

Ukitsu rolled her eyes, snatched Naruto's arm and intertwined their fingers together. "Here, this is what handshake is."

"Oh, very interesting. I'm Naruto. It is _not_ nice to meet you."

Ukitsu shrugged off the blonde's verbal jab and asked curiously. "No surname?"

"No surname." Naruto confirmed.

"Cool." The girl grinned.

"Yeah…"

-X-

Ryuubi Gentoku was a bookworm, and she felt that there was no quandaries being a lover of books. Books were knowledge and they were priceless. Ryuubi despised those who denounced the worthiness of books. Without books, there won't be history. Without books, there won't be information. Books depicted an infinite load of sagacious wisdom written from professionals or historians and Ryuubi was a fan of many genres. The library was her personal sanctuary.

Her mother died during labour and her father was an alcoholic. Staying in the library helped Ryuubi to avoid the domestic violence in her household; she only cleaned the house at midnight when her father was asleep. However, Ryuubi was a frail soul who abhorred violence with a passion; she believed firmly that everything could be solved with diplomatic solutions.

That only meant she was defenceless when it came down to bullies. She was mocked as, 'Nerdy Ryuubi'. Today was no different; those same bullies came again to the library just to toy with her. Although the librarians tried to restrict them from entering the library, that didn't stop them from sneaking in.

"Hey, it's Nerdy Ryuubi."

A boy snatched the girl's book and eyed cynically at the content. "Why are you reading this book? The threat of Global Warming? You actually believe this shit? It's full of crap!"

"Yeah, my dad told me global warming is just a lie to fool idiots like you!" Another boy snickered.

"Well, your dad must be a real idiot not to believe that." An unfamiliar voice intruded. "Like father, like son. If he's an idiot, I guess you're not much a different after all."

"Why you? Who do you think you are?"

"I think I'm a human being… I hope." Naruto's doleful silence coupled with his downcast sights irked the bullies.

Gulping in consternation, the boys shivered at the odd boy's… oddity. Concealing their anxiety with their pretentious glory, the boys sneered. "F-Freaks! The two of you are just freaks! Go die somewhere!"

The bullies left, trying to tame their egotistic attitudes. Naruto chuckled in victory and sat beside a frightened Ryuubi with his fishing rod resting on his shoulder. "Heh, they might think they're tough, but they're all sad, ignorant fools. Don't mind them."

"W-Whoa, you beat them without t-the usage of v-violence… I thought that w-wasn't possible…" Ryuubi sighed depressively.

"Well, I guess I'm good at talking. Bullies are insecure individuals. It is comprehensible when you think it this way; they refute others so they can avoid being refuted. They purposely point out other people's mistakes because they are well aware of theirs, but refused to admit it. I know my strength well and attack those bullies' palpable weakness. Human's psychological complexities can only be understood at a certain level. Still, I believe that a battle win without violence is the sweetest vengeance." Naruto smiled.

"R-Really? Do you t-think that w-way as well? They say my virtues and p-pacifisms will lead to my d-downfall." Ryuubi eyed her book sorrowfully before trying to reform a weak smile. "I'm g-glad somebody understands my beliefs."

"If humans can learn to understand one another, then there won't be war in this world. That's why it is nice to have people persisting in this deplorable world to find true peace." Naruto and Ryuubi shared a light chuckle.

"All this talking and I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Naruto, nice to meet ya."

"I-I'm Ryuubi Gentoku, it is a p-pleasure meeting y-you."

"Ryuubi, huh? Can I call you… Bi-chan?"

Ryuubi blushed at the pet name and nodded promptly. "If y-you wish."

The mysterious boy grinned excitedly and thrust his fishing rod forward; the string attached onto the tip of the rod flew towards a random book and coiled around it. Naruto jerked his hand backwards and the book fell into his hand. Ryuubi was marvelled at Naruto's skills and her eyes shined stars of admirations. "Wow, that's s-so cool! I-I wish I c-can do that. You're amazing, N-Naruto-kun."

"So I've been told." Naruto gave a thumb up shamelessly. "I am amazing. But…"

The blonde unexpectedly leaned forward, invading Ryuubi's personal space as he examined the girl's soft features. "You're very amazing as well, Bi-chan. I mean, look at the stacks of book over here."

Truth to be told, the stacks of books were tantamount to miniature skyscrapers and they could easily tower any adult with ease. Ryuubi blushed at the compliment and giggled. "I love reading. I learn many things from them."

"I know. Without them, the world will perish. Don't you think so, Bi-chan?" Naruto flipped open to the first page of the book and had an avid read.

Ryuubi was glad that she found somebody who could understand her love for books. Perhaps, her life had made a dramatic turnover. It was a good thing nonetheless. Giving her saccharine smile to the blonde, Ryuubi grabbed her book and continued her reading.

She didn't notice her blonde friend was reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

-X-

Ryomou Shimei was everything but shy. There were many things she loathed; she hated perverts with a passion, she shunned chauvinists and she detested the whole concept of luck! She was born in a family where her father had died when she was just an infant. Her mother was severely ill and could only stay at home to do dry cleaning for their neighbours in order to earn some income. Ryomou had to venture to the city and find jobs. She was the major provider of the house and she could not afford to become sick.

Even if she was sick, she endured the pain and continued her work. It was the brutality way of life and she knew it well. If she antagonised herself with self-pity due to her poverty, there won't be anybody to pay the bills. Her mother could only earn that much. The world was pragmatic, and she got over it.

Ryomou had her scheduled. In early morning, she would ride her bike and deliver newspaper to the neighbourhood. In the afternoon, she would wash dishes for a local restaurant. At night, she would serve as a waitress for her uncle's café. It was her routine and Ryomou couldn't recall a time where she had ever played in a park like an ordinary kid. This was her childhood.

As usual, she was seating in an alley, located directly behind the restaurant she worked at and was scrubbing the oil from the plates. God, she despised those who wasted food. She had to earn her ass off for a month to actually eat a whole course meal and yet people had the audacity to throw food away like it was nothing? It was unforgivable. She made an oath to never waste food in her life. Engrossed in her own thoughts, Ryomou didn't realise a blonde boy was staring at her.

"Eh, you're daydreaming."

The girl jolted in fright and squeezed her eyes shut, waving her hands fanatically. "No! Boss, I didn't daydream! I swear! Please forgive me!"

She was rewarded with someone's laughter frenzy. Turning her attention to the stranger, Ryomou blushed in a mixture of mortification and humiliation. "W-What's so funny, jerk?"

"N-No! Nothing's funny! You should look at your face! PRICELESS!" The blonde clutched his stomach while pointing an accusing finger at the girl, who was currently fuming with vexation. "You jerk! I'll show you for laughing at me! Take this!"

Ryomou sprayed some soapy water at the boy and it immediately took effect. The blonde blinked dumbly and sat beside the girl quietly, his fishing rod situated beside him. "Now, are you repenting for your stupidity?"

"…" The boy tapped his lips in wonderment.

"W-What?"

"You're very cute." The boy chuckled, grabbed a spare sponge and started scrubbing the dirtied plates.

"W-What are you doing? This is my job! Don't you dare steal it!"

The boy arched a confused brow. "I'm not stealing your job. I'm lessening up your workload. Jeez, you need to take a chill pill."

"But why?"

"I don't know. I just feel like helping. You look like you need some helping anyway. Relax, I don't work here. Judging by the fact that you're quite afraid of your boss, I guess I'll act as your cousin if he asks. He can pay you if he wants, I don't need any money. I only want to help." The blonde stated with a tone of sincerity. Ryomou was dumbfounded; she had never seen a person who would want to help others just because he or she wanted to help. There was always an ulterior motive.

"What do you benefit from helping me?"

"Oh? I never thought about that. Hmm… I guess I benefit from being close with a cute girl like you." The boy continued to scrub the dishes, utterly oblivious of the fact that Ryomou was blushing immensely.

"Fine, b-but don't think I'm gonna share my salary with you."

"You bet." The blonde grinned.

"So, what's your name? Do you have any to start with?" Ryomou smirked playfully.

"Hey, what do you mean by that! I'm not a weirdo!"

"Heh, really? I have met many weirdos, you're the weirdest of all weirdos."

"How rude. Here I am, trying to be nice, and what I get? Mockery. This world is so cruel!" The boy pouted, which caused the girl to giggle at his antics.

"I'm sorry for teasing you. I'm Ryomou Shimei."

"I'm Naruto. I know what you're gonna ask but I have to break this to you; I have no surname. Don't ask, don't tell."

"Indeed, you are a weirdo." Ryomou smiled warmly at Naruto. "But that's a good sign."

-X-

"I see, you have finally returned, Taikobo." A silhouette was seen seating on a throne, shadowed by the darkness.

Naruto had abandoned his former getup and dressed in a black bodysuit, his eyes signified his apathy. "Yes, I have."

"Have you located the fighters?"

The blonde smirked. "Yes. Chou'un Shiryuu, Shiba'i Chuutatsu, Kanu Unchou, Ryofu Housen, Ukitsu, Ryuubi Gentoku and Ryomou Shimei, I have found all of them. It is all according to plan."

"Good, you have done well. Make them trust you. Make them drop their guard. Make them know you love them. Make them fall into the pitiful trap of love. Nurture them. Watch them blossoms to the beautiful maidens they will become and… kill them. End the era of the war and bring peace to this world. Only by killing them will you accomplish great goals. I have resurrected you from the grave and combined the spirit of Taikobo into you. His Magatama is embedded into your sternum and had empowered your former strength by folds. You are undefeatable in the likes of those fighters."

Naruto's subtle grin widened. "I will end all of them and bring true peace to this world."

"Good, now proceed to your training. I have already prepared the necessities for today. I want to see progress in your Light Speed, God's Fists. Do not disappoint me, Naruto. You are, after all, the Terminator that shall cleanse this world from the repugnant souls of the wicked."

-X-

If some of you are Chinese or played Dynasty Warriors before, then you should know that Chou'un Shiryuu is Zhou Yun. Naruto is, in this case, using Chou'un's Chinese name, Zhao Yun, as his way of addressing Chou'un. In her case, it is 'Yun', hence Yun-chan. I'm not so sure about Zhao Yun's 'Yun' but it does sounds like the 'cloud' in Chinese. Cloud in Chinese is also written as 'Yun'. I guess it reminds me of clouds whenever I see Chou'un.

She does resemble cloud's nature. When she is placid, she is beautiful. When she is provoked, she is deadly… and beautiful.

By the way, Naruto is not the Terminator from... the Terminator. It's just a title. .

As for the pairing…

1.) NarutoXHarem – quite possible.  
2.) NarutoXKanu  
3.) NarutoXRyomou  
4.) NarutoXRyofu – most likely  
5.) NarutoXChou'un  
6.) NarutoXRyuubi – Ryuubi reminds me of Hinata  
7.) NarutoXShiba'i  
8.) NarutoXUkitsu  
9.) NarutoX Your Suggestion

Google Taikobo if you don't know who he is. Or, you can Google 'Taigong Wang' or 'Jiang Ziya'. They're all the same person.

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

-x-

Naruto was wearing his orange tracksuit with a towel draped over his shoulders. He was sweating immensely from his arduous training to master his fighting style. The Light Speed, God's Fist was a dangerous technique and was classified as a forbidden fighting form. There were two fundamental principles in the style; they were ungodly speed and overwhelming power. The sudden burst of speed, collaborating with intensified frictions through the physics of velocity, which was applied to a punch, could create a catastrophic result.

The Light Speed, God's Fist exploited that theory into practice to the maximum potential. In the process, it required its user to fight in unbelievable speed at a cost; if mishaps happened during the training, the individual would tear off their arms, break their ligaments, crushed their own bones and many excruciating outcomes that would render a fighter crippled. It also inflicted unimaginable stress on the user's body. Nevertheless, there were also prerequisites for that fighting technique.

The user must be extraordinarily nimble, upheld unsurpassed determination and possessed unrivalled agility; Naruto fitted the requirements. Mastering the deadly fighting style would definitely allow the practitioner to assassinate or slaughter their enemies in astonishing speed that would be considered implausible to logics.

Glaring at the wall constructed by reinforced iron, which was positioned at a few miles away, Naruto inhaled a deep breath as he tucked his fist into his pocket. Instantly, his arm blitzed in a static blur and the metallic wall was slammed by a tremendous force, resulting in a fist print embedded into it. The blonde sighed and wiped the sweats from his forehead. "Damn, that's not enough…"

Naruto perked his head up as he sensed a presence behind him. Twirling around, he saw his rival smirking cockily at him. "What do you want, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grinned. "Nothing much. I've finished my training. Just hopping by to say-"

The raven-haired boy widened his eyes in shock as a force struck at the wall and that dangerous pressure was inches away from his cheeks. Sasuke scowled as he crossed his arms. "That's quite rude. Very unlike you, if you ask me. The past you will be smiling like an idiot and gloating at your own power."

"Well, that me is long dead." Naruto radiated a murderous aura and it was soon matched up by Sasuke's. "If you want a fight, I'll kill you right here, right now. I won't even spare you any mercy."

"Talking big isn't your style, dobe." Sasuke smirked as his hands crackled with electricity.

"Oh?" Naruto arched a brow. "You're gonna use the Thunder-God Fist at me?"

"Of course. After all, it is the only fighting style in the world that can match up to your Light Speed, God's Fist."

"Match me?" Naruto scoffed. "You're the one who talk big, teme."

"What's the problem in here?"

Naruto and Sasuke turned their attention sharply at the silhouette standing in the shadow. The two boys bowed, albeit unwillingly. "Care to explain why you two are trying to kill each other, again?"

"That's how we bond, master." Sasuke said the last word disdainfully.

"Really? Well, vent your frustration on the toushi. Understand?"

"Yes… sir." The boys said in unison.

-x-

Kanu Unchou was practicing her swings while anxiously waiting for the mysterious blonde to appear. She had been waiting for hours and there was still no sign of that boy. Yelling in frustration, Kanu sliced the rock into halves, only to see the blonde boy nibbling on his bun through the gaping hole of the rock. Kanu gritted her teeth in frustration and stormed towards Naruto. "What are you doing? You're late!"

"Late? Me? For what?" Naruto feigned surprise and Kanu was irked by the blonde's nonchalance. Seizing his collar furiously, Kanu pulled the boy to her and yelled. "We have an agreement! You'll be here on time so I can defeat you! I, Kanu Unchou, will not lose to the likes of you! Especially not to a shrimp!"

Naruto smirked as he picked up his fishing rod. "But I never say I want to fight. Battles are pointless. They are but childish bickering in the mirage of violence to end a petty dispute. I don't fight without a proper cause."

"Proper cause? You're a fighter, aren't you?" Kanu tightened her grip. "If you're a fighter, then you should fight! This is our destiny!"

"And who told you our destiny as fighters is to fight?" Naruto smiled. "We fight everyday as we struggle to live in this world. We fight for personal satisfaction. We fight for materialistic goods. We fight for victory. This is not just our destiny. This is everybody's destiny. To fight is to live, that is true. But if we can end this pointless struggle and sought a remedy to halt this endless cycle of vicious battle, we can bring peace to this world. Violence doesn't solve everything. Violence will only produce more hatred. We don't need that toxic waste of hatred mingling in our lives. This world is already suffering enough from the intoxication of humanity's idiocy."

"A-Are you saying…" Kanu softened her grasp and her eyes were downcast in uncertainty. "Are you saying we fighters don't need… to fight?"

"Sometimes, battles are inevitable." Naruto caressed the girl's cheeks and smiled warmly. "But as humans, we're struggling everyday to live through responsibilities. You are not a prisoner to fate. You're a prisoner to your own mind. Besides…"

The blonde reached out to the girl to snag the grain of rice on the edge of her lips. Naruto ate it and beamed. "Fried rice. Too much oil. Lessen the salt."

Kanu blinked dumbly before blushing profusely. She pushed the boy away and hid her face with her hands. "P-Pervert!"

Naruto cocked a brow of confusion and grinned impishly. "Oh? You're a shy baby, aren't you?"

"Y-You… you've humiliated me for the last time, shrimp!" Kanu grabbed her Green Dragon Crescent blade and swung at the blonde recklessly.

Naruto merely dodged the graceless assault and grinned. "Angry now, aren't we? That pole-arm is pretty heavy, isn't it? You sure you can wield it?"

Kanu growled. "Don't underestimate me! Hyah!"

(An hour of wild slashes and battle cries…)

Another defeat was settled and Kanu rested her head on Naruto's lap, albeit reluctantly. The blonde was dusting the dirt away from her face with stern eyes while Kanu couldn't help but felt flustered at the entire session. She tried to resist the blonde's help but Naruto was equally stubborn; he insisted to scrub her face and hands with a towel and a basin of water. Fortunately for them, there was a well in the abandoned temple.

"Y-You don't need to do this…"

"Why not?" Naruto wiped the last traces of mud with the wet towel and threw the dirtied rag into the basin. "Do you enjoy the filth this much?"

"S-Shut up, shrimp!" Kanu sat up and brushed her hair with her unclean hands, only to be stopped by Naruto who slapped her wrist lightly. The girl yelped before growling at Naruto. "Why do you do that for?"

"You really are one messed-up girl. Here." Naruto rummaged his pocket and took out a comb. "Yes! Thank god I've brought this with me! Now, sit still."

"W-Wha-"

Kanu pouted as Naruto brushed her hair gently. "You clearly lack any feminine quality, Kan-chan."

The girl blushed at her given pet name and huffed. "I'm a fighter. A fighter doesn't need those things."

"Fighter or not, you're still a human being. Frankly, I don't really care about the whole fighting business."

Kanu was sceptic. "Really? You're only at my age, yet you can evade all of my attacks… who are you."

Naruto grinned. "I'm Naruto."

"Liar!" The girl accused as she twirled around and jabbed her finger at the boy's chest. "I've went through the library to find your name. There wasn't anybody called Naruto 1800 years ago."

"Then that probably mean I'm not in the history books."

"No." Kanu narrowed her eyes to slits. "I've went through the era of the Shinobi. That took place 800 to 500 years ago. There's a powerful ninja called Naruto Uzumaki who fought against the nefarious Sasuke Uchiha. Their fates are undetermined but many people have concluded that they died during their battle. It can't be a coincidence…"

"Well, it is." Naruto smiled. "I'm Naruto and I'm sure there are many people out there in Japan who share my name as well. You, however, are one of the kinds."

"And what do you want from me?"

"Nothing? I don't want anything from you." The blonde chuckled with a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "Definitely not from a brute like you. No."

Kanu, fuming with rage, snatched her weapon immediately and bellowed. "You jerk! Die by my hands!"

-X-

Shiba'i Chuutatsu didn't know what to think. She felt mixed emotions when she arrived to the beach; she was fidgety about the concept of making friends and yet she desired to speak about her feelings to somebody. At home, she was alone. Her elder siblings were rarely at their house; she was, after all, the youngest in the household. The very thought her eternity spent in loneliness made her timorous. When she reached her destination, she was delighted to see the enigmatic boy seating at the edge of the harbour, fishing with vigour to catch fish with a fishing rod that had no hook.

She sighed and embraced her courage. Walking in a steady gait towards the boy, she was contemplating how to engage an appropriate conversation with him.

Sensing a familiar presence approaching him from his back, Naruto smiled as he loosened his grip on his fishing rod. "You're back, Bai-chan."

"Yes." Shiba'i sat behind the boy and leaned her back against his. Unzipping her bag, she took her guitar out and rested it on her lap. "S-So… how is your day, Naru-kun?"

"Not bad, I supposed." Naruto stared at the sunset with a stoic ambience.

"Really? You don't look very happy today."

"What is happiness to you?"

Shiba'i was taken aback by the question; pondering for a while, she answered. "I guess hope itself is a form of happiness. And the greatest happiness is when that hope comes true. What about you? What is happiness to you?"

"Personally, happiness, in some sense, could be a temporary matter or something permanent. However, the greatest virtue of morality leads to, not just personal happiness, but the happiness of others. The greatest degree of serenity graduates from the capability of love and compassion. Compassion is not weakness; in the contrary, showing concern to the unfortunate isn't socialism. The history of humanity is not blatant cruelty. Compassion and kindness are part of them as well. I believe showing compassion to others and caring for people are what true happiness is."

Shiba'i smiled and nodded. "I see my theory is right after all. You are the reincarnation of some old geezer."

Naruto chuckled. "Perhaps I am."

The girl brushed her fingers across the strings of her guitar and started playing the musical notes. "Still, your words are truly beautiful. If only there are more of you in this world… I'm sure this world will become a better place."

"You think?" The blonde sighed. "You will grow up to become a beautiful woman, Bai-chan."

Shiba'i paused after hearing the compliment; she blushed uncontrollably and thanked God that Naruto couldn't see her fluster state. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you're intelligent, kind and cute." Naruto smiled at the distant horizon. "You will become a woman who will accomplish great things."

"Why do you say that? I'm Shiba'i Chuutatsu. I am the reincarnation of the malevolent strategist who became an emperor through deceits and-"

"You are not him. You're Bai-chan. That dude is… well, that dude." The blonde sighed and rubbed his nose. "Destiny doesn't create you. You create destiny. It is not for that dude to decide how you live your life; you decide how you live it."

Shiba'i scoffed. "Destiny is written for us, not by us! Tell me, Naru-kun, if I am going to be a ruler one day as what my fate dictates… will you still be my friend?"

For once, Naruto was awfully quiet and the girl was waiting for a response in apprehension.

"No matter what, you'll always be my friend."

"Even if I'm evil one day?"

"The perceptions of good and evil are not mandatory. Every action has an advantageous benefit for an individual and it might spark a drastic consequence. However, if you are, as you say, evil, I will still be your friend."

Shiba'i somehow felt upset. "You don't sound like you want to."

"Tell me, Bai-chan, do you believe in God?"

"Y-Yes. Salvation, glory and power, they are the trinity of everything and are bestowed upon us from God. His judgement is true and just. He is omnipotent and his will shall not be defied."

"Then is God willing to prevent evil but not able to? Such answers are unsubstantial. If such is the case, God is not omnipotent. Is he able but unwilling? That makes him nothing but evil itself. Is he able and willing? If so, does the word 'evil' exist anymore? If God is not able and unwilling, he is not fit to be entitled by such name." Naruto sighed. "Evil is forgivable. If you're incapable to forgive, you're devoid of love. There is always some good in the worst of us, and some evil in the best of us. I will be the one who will draw that good out from within you when you fall to darkness. I will be that friend for you, Bai-chan."

"R-Really?"

"You bet!" Naruto chuckled benignly. "Besides, we all need friends to speak of our deepest concerns. Solitude depriving from the destitute of sincere friendship is a life filled with hardship. We'll be friends forever. Believe it!"

"You promise?" Shiba'i stared at her guitar with a streak of pink adorning on her cheeks.

"I promise. And remember, destiny is in your grasp, not the other way round."

-x-

Ryomou Shimei was scrapping the dirty dishes. She honestly didn't believe the mysterious boy would show up. Besides, she had to worry about the welfare of her mother, she had to work hard to pay the bills, she had to clean her home after work and there would inadvertently be more obstacles that awaited her. Ryomou didn't even have the time to squander in self-pity, much less fancying a boy.

"Daydreaming again?"

"N-No!" The girl shut her eyes and waved her hands fanatically while soaps flew randomly in the air. "Please forgive me, boss! I'll do my… my…"

Ryomou heard a familiar guffaw and gritted her teeth in frustration. Standing before her was the boy who seemed to enjoy irritating her to no end. "What do you want?"

"I told you I'll help you." Naruto sat beside the girl and grabbed a sponge. "Besides, I'm working here as a cleaner too! The owner of the restaurant is employing someone to help you. He told me you broke three plates, two bowls and a spoon last week."

Ryomou tilted her head downwards and was struggling desperately to vanquish the urge to cry. "I know I'm clumsy… but I'm doing my best. Why are you stealing my job?"

"Whoa! Hold on a sec. I'm not stealing your job. The boss employs me to help you out." Naruto smirked. "I don't have much to do lately."

"Help me?" Ryomou was doubtful. "You're probably trying to impress the boss and bootlick his foot! That's right! You're trying to steal my job! You're the worst!"

"Hey! Don't jump to conclusions that easily! And that's a far cry to my intention." Naruto deadpanned. "Look, I only want to help-"

"Don't give me that bullshit! You… you…" Ryomou was seething in exasperation before she huffed and gave the boy the silent treatment.

Naruto sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, I'm only trying to help. You might think I have an ulterior motive, but I honestly don't. I believe if a person understands the depth of benevolence and is gracious and courteous to strangers, then this person can find true happiness. Isn't that the only solution to world peace?"

Ryomou was scrubbing the plates in an unusual violent fashion.

"You might have not seen much kindness in your life but I know love and kindness are not wasted. They make the basis of life and they can make a difference. I cannot change the world, but if I help you in your work, I can make a difference to your life. I am not helping you out of any benefit. I am helping because I want to. If you really want a motive, then kindness it is." Naruto said while his attention was fixated on his work. "This world is unkind, because the negativity in the world is polluted with corruptions. If I can change it, I'll gladly do so."

The pair spent the rest of their day in silence. When night falls, the owner of the restaurant distributed the wages to Ryomou and Naruto.

Before the girl decided to leave, Naruto gripped her wrist and stopped her mobility. "Mou-chan…"

Encircling his hands around Ryomou's waist, Naruto pulled her closer to him, earning him an adorable yelp from the girl. "W-What are you-"

"I know you might be harbouring hatred at me for betraying you but… I only want to say sorry." Naruto sighed. "Please don't be mad."

Ryomou averted her eyes away; frankly, she wasn't really angry at the blonde, she just had nothing to say to him.

"I'll be going then. Take care of yourself, Mou-chan." Naruto pushed the girl away gently before smiling fervently at her. "See you tomorrow!"

Ryomou watched as the boy ran away and blended into the crowd. It was then the girl felt an abnormal weight in her pocket and she reached into it. She was surprised when she found extra cash in her pocket. The girl gasped when reality struck her. _"He is really working… for me? This is his salary… but why is he giving it to me? I… I don't understand."_

-X-

Ryofu Housen was seating on the roof of the orphanage, staring in appreciation at the soporific moonlight glazing upon her. The trees rustled a bit as a gentle breeze enveloped the green haired girl; there was nothing much she could do, except formulating pranks and watching the stars. She already found her own magatama and she had read her destiny from the books in the library. It was as if her destiny was engraved into her soul the day she was born. She particularly disliked being killed pathetically by Sousou in the book or detested the notion of being used like a puppet by Toutaku.

But she was perplexed about her fate and though she didn't candidly admit it, she was afraid of her imminent death that would befall upon her brutally.

It was then she heard a soft thud emanating from beside her. Alarmingly, Ryofu swirled her sights to her side and saw a teddy bear, approximately the size of her, seating beside her and she noticed the little frame hiding behind the soft toy, coordinating its movement. Ryofu suppressed her urge to giggle and smiled. "Why hello. What is a big teddy bear like you doing here?"

Naruto feigned a cute, high-pitch voice to substitute for the teddy bear's voice. "I am here to accompany you, miu."

"Really? It's pretty chilly tonight."

"I have fur to protect me. Do you have any fur to protect you, miu?" The bear tilted its head sideways and Ryofu squealed inwardly.

"I don't have any fur on my skin. What should I do?"

"Hug me and I can give you my warm, miu!"

"Really?" Ryofu embraced the teddy bear and nuzzled her cheeks on the bear's soft fur.

Naruto smiled as he sat beside a happy Ryofu who was cuddling the bear in delight. "Are you giving this bear for me?"

"Of course." The blonde smiled benevolently and nodded at the green-haired girl. "Name the bear."

"N-Name?"

"Yeah! It is your companion now. You need to give it a name."

"Okay! Hmm…" Ryofu tapped her chin in contemplation before an idea struck her. "How about… Ryoto."

"Sounds good!" Naruto took out a box of chocolate and handed it to her. "It's 12am now! Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Happy… Valen- W-What's that?" Ryofu blinked quizzically.

"Oh? That's… well… uh…" Naruto scratched his hair sheepishly. "I don't really know. Heh. I saw many boys giving chocolates and teddy bears to girls. I thought that is what I should do."

"Oh? That's very… nice of you. Nobody has given anything to me before. I'll cherish Ryoto… definitely." Ryofu beamed with tears in her eyes. "T-Thank you."

"W-What's there to cry about?" Naruto placed a comforting hand on Ryofu's shoulder and smirked. "Ryoto will always be our memento, believe it!"

Ryofu placed the teddy bear beside her and reached out to Naruto and gave him a warm hug. Naruto jolted in fright and was unsure of his situation; he wasn't a person who was fond of close contacts. Awkwardly, the blonde patted the girl's back and sighed. "It's alright… Let it all out. Once everything is over, the sun will rise again."

Ryofu pushed Naruto away gently as she hiccupped from her sobs. "You're a good friend, Ruto-chan."

"I don't know if I'm a good friend or not, but I'll always be there for you." Naruto smiled.

-X-

Naruto stood on the roundabout of a white mansion constructed by exquisite materials that radiated a sense of grand royalty. With a snap of his fingers, bodyguards and maids stood in formality on two neat, parallel rows. Naruto smirked as he walked through the passage to the front door of his new house. The old butler walked behind Naruto and cleared his throat. "Young master, you've arrived."

"Yes, have you prepared the necessity for my permanent stay in Japan?"

The butler nodded. "Yes I have. Your luggage and your preference have all been handled thoroughly."

"Good work, Gento-san." Naruto smirked. "Did you inform my master about my plans?"

"No, young master. I only told him that you are buying this mansion as a lair for yourself."

"Great. If he knows what I'm about to do, he will definitely send Sasuke here to monitor me. I'll rather kill that nuisance's ass than to let him live in my house like a creep. I still haven't figure out whether he's gay or not."

"I understand young master's words." Gento bowed.

"Good, don't wait for me for dinner. I'm bringing a girl out for ramen tonight."

"A date perhaps?"

"No? Just a regular dinner. What are you thinking? Jeez." Naruto shook his head and walked off.

The butler sighed as he watched the boy skipped away.

-X-

Chou'un Shiryuu was sweeping the leaves, with an old broomstick, from the ground of the monastery that she lived in. She was entrusted with the duty of ensuring the cleanliness of the temple. She hadn't seen Naruto for a while now and her life was rather rigid without the additional liveliness. Chou'un kept sweeping, however, she did notice the sudden accumulation of fallen leaves scattered messily on the ground.

Tilting her head upwards, Chou'un saw Naruto squatting on the rooftop, toying with his fishing rod.

Chou'un smiled and bowed politely at the blonde. "Greetings, Naruto-san."

"You really live in a monastery. Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Naruto smirked. "Vegetarian then, aren't you?"

"Yes. It is the fundamental principle in the temple that any monks or nuns must keep a strict diet of being vegetarian." Chou'un lectured.

The blonde cocked a brow. "Then are you a nun?"

"N-No…"

"Good. Let's go eat something awesome!"

"But the sweeping duties-"

Naruto sighed before landing beside a surprised Chou'un and seized her wrist. "Do it later. Let's go! We're gonna be late!"

"L-Late? For what?"

Without delaying any further, Naruto rushed out of the temple while dragging a confused Chou'un with him. They ventured through the city, passed through shady alleys and jumped across a few rooftops to reach their destination. Chou'un was standing in front of a ramen stall. Naruto turned his attention to Chou'un and smiled. "Here we are. Imitoku Ramen. Best ramen in town."

"Ramen! I always want to try that!" Chou'un beamed.

"Heh! Let's go in!" Naruto led the girl into the store before greeting the chefs. "Hey! Kaito-san, give me the usual. Yun-chan, I'll personally recommend the chicken."

"It's okay. I'll have the vegetarian."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Kaito-san, please give Yun-chan the chicken please."

"N-Naruto-san!"

Kaito, a middle-age chef, nodded and went to the kitchen. "I'll go prepare your meals! Coming right up!"

Chou'un pouted at Naruto. "You're mean."

The blonde chuckled. "Trust me. The chicken is as good as miso. I just love miso more."

"I see. So, how are you? I didn't see you in the playground yesterday."

Naruto rubbed his nose and smirked. "I was trying to fight a beast yesterday and then I encountered a lost dove. I, along with the dove, got lost in the road of life before we got dragged back to the proper path or righteousness. After that, I went to meet up with a baby tiger and it was furious at me. I have no choice but to calm it down. That's my story."

Chou'un was cynical.

"Fine. That's a load of bullshit. Just personal stuffs I have to handle. Nothing much." The blonde pouted apologetically. "I'm sorry if you wait for me at the playground yesterday."

"Apology… not accepted."

"W-What?" Naruto panicked. "How about… I treat you to dinner. That ought to make up for my fault, right?"

Chou'un giggled. "Yup!"

The blonde blinked dumbly before realisation struck him. "Oh! You trick me, you naughty little trickster!"

The girl guffawed in joy. "So, where is your family? I always see you alone…"

Naruto's optimistic features wavered slightly and Chou'un noticed the palpable sorrow adoring on the boy's face. Chou'un patted the blonde's shoulder as the cornucopia of mixed emotions displaying on the quiet Naruto's face worried her immensely. "N-Naruto-san, if you don't wish to say-"

"My parents died."

"I-I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. You didn't kill them. Nothing to apologise for." Naruto faked a smile. "So… you're an orphan, right?"

"Yeah." Chou'un sighed. "My parents abandon me when I was only a baby. I was fortunate. The abbot in the temple picked me up from the dumps. I won't be who I am today without the abbot's help."

"At least someone pick you up." Naruto muttered incoherently.

"Pardon?"

"O-Oh? Nothing." Coincidentally, the chefs have placed their respective ramen before them. "Thanks, Kaito-san. Eat up while it's hot, Yun-chan!"

The couple spent the rest of the night slurping their delicious ramen while chattering at everything.

-X-

Naruto had returned to base, only to be greeted by two familiar entities. "Oh? I didn't know the three of you are awakened. It has been a while, hasn't it? Neji? Lee. The last time we met, it was during the Fourth Shinobi War. Now we're back to our kiddies form."

"Yes. The, self-proclaimed, master wants us to work together to defeat the toushi." Neji crossed his arms. "The technique he uses is guaranteed not the Forbidden Reanimation Technique. Our corpses would be either disfigured or too rotten to be revived. And one more thing. The master didn't use any chakra or ninjutsu to revive us back. Something fishy is going on here."

"Yeah. I'm still figuring things out." Naruto grinned and turned to Lee. "So, how have you been?"

"Yosh! It has been a while, Naruto! I hope your flame of youth still burn brightly. Other than standing in an awkward position, I am feeling great. Speaking of which, why can't Neji use any of his chakra? It feels like-"

"Chakra doesn't exist anymore?" Naruto finished the statement.

Lee and Neji nodded.

"That is why I am establishing a firm grip on my martial art." Naruto realised that his friends were still confused and elaborated. "The truth is, when I was revived, the master handed a martial art manual to me. Did the master give you anything?"

Neji hoisted his hands and handed two old, worn out books to the blonde. "The master gave me this."

Naruto accepted it and read the title of both books aloud. "Taiji Fist and the Eighteen Lohan Fists?"

Lee showed the blonde his own prescribed manuals. "The master gave me this."

Naruto was shocked in bafflement when he saw the titles of the books Lee was holding. "Shadowless Kick? Muay Thai? It seems my theory is right after all."

"What do you mean?"

"The master knows about our specialised abilities. Look at this way. Neji, you're a master of hand-to-hand combat. Lee, you're a master of fighting styles strongly related to kicks. And me. I'm an unorthodox fighter who fights with no grace whatsoever. Our personality contributes to how we fight and what we fight for. The master seems to know about us. All the manuals the master has given us all contribute to our forte. This is getting creepy."

"We got no choice. We have to survive through this and understand our situation better." Neji concluded.

"Yosh! My ninja senses are tingling. We must adapt!" Lee pumped his fists up and beamed. "If I can't master Muay Thai by next year, I'll do a thousand sit-ups! And if I can't do a thousand sit-ups, I'll do a thousand push-ups! And if I can't-"

"Shut up!" Naruto and Neji roared in unison. "We get it, alright?"

Lee shrunk fearfully. "I-I only want to-"

"Zip!"

Sasuke stood under a shadow, observing the trio quietly. He, too, needed to resolve the mystery behind the master's identity.

-X-

Yosh! I have finally finished this chapter.

I'm not sure if the master should revive the rest of the Konoha 11. I'm still pondering...

Pairings remain undecided.  
1.)NarutoXRyofu  
2.)NarutoxRyomou  
3.)NarutoRyuubi  
4.)NarutoXKanu  
5.)NarutoXChou'un  
6.)NarutoXShiba'i  
7.)NarutoXUkitsu  
8.)NarutoXHakufu

SasukeXOpen to suggestion  
NejiXOpen to suggestion  
LeeXOpen to suggestion

Yes. This is about it.

Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Sorry for the late updates. I really have no inspiration for this story. It takes a long struggle to finish writing this chapter.

-X-  
(2 years later…)

Kanu Unchou practiced swings with her Green Dragon Crescent Blade but her gaits were clumsy. She was anxious, thinking about a certain blonde that seemed to aggravate her to no end. Kanu paused in her workouts, scanning her vicinity, hoping inwardly to find that annoying shrimp. Naruto was an enigma. He was irritating, cute but still a very irritating idiot. Kanu thrusts her guan-dao forward and retracted it, shifting her momentum and adjusted her weight. Listening to the blonde's advice, she followed Naruto's teaching and cleaved the pillar in halves.

It had been two years since Naruto visited him at the abandoned temple. He came occasionally but his visits were diminished to seldom and then for no reason, he vanished. Like a maelstrom, he came in strong and left without a word. No goodbyes, no farewells. Just a basket of buns that he was often seen nibbling on resting on a rock, that was the last gift presented to Kanu. There was not even a card to state his departure.

Truthfully, Kanu missed the knucklehead; life was dull without him.

Kanu sat on a bench and sighed. Unfurling the plastic wrap from her packed lunch, the brunette took a delicate bite off her bun. "Stupid blonde. Baka, baka, baka!"

-X-

Chou'un Shiryuu shut her eyes, allowing serenity to flood her mind. The breezes were soothing and the fallen leaves were swept down from the trees. Abruptly, Chou'un opened her cerulean pair of eyes and unsheathed her blade adroitly. In a flash, the leaves that had fallen before her were all sliced into halves. Chou'un heaved a sigh as she sheathed her sword and sat on a chair, wiping her sweats with a towel and took a sip from her warm cup of tea.

Gazing at the empyrean blue sky, the silver haired girl closed her eyes. "Naruto-san, it has been two years since we last met. Where have you been? Are you okay?"

"What's wrong, Chou'un?" Chou'un jolted up in fright and snapped her attention at the elderly abbot standing behind her. The girl stood up and bowed politely. "Master."

"Chou'un, are you still thinking about that rascal?"

"He's not a rascal, master."

The abbot sat beside Chou'un and smiled. "Love is more than a noun. It is more than just a simple verb. It is more than just a feeling. It gives you compassion and sympathy. It makes you care for others unconditionally. However, it also makes you hate, makes you jealous. It gives you all notion of negativity. Love is a dangerous tool. It has no barriers and can penetrate through all sorts of defences. That's why we monks and nuns don't embrace ourselves on such notion, lest we fall prey onto emotions such as love."

"A-Are you suggesting me to… forget about him?" Chou'un queried timidly. "Naruto-san is a very strange boy, but I know he is kind-hearted."

"I never ask you to forget about him. I want you to put that memory aside." The abbot sighed as he stroked the girl's hair. "You are my most talented pupil, Chou'un. You must not let this trivial thing get in your way. Concentrate on what's important now and become stronger. You are born for greatness, just like the Chou'un Shiryuu 1800 years ago."

"I understand." Chou'un watched as the abbot walked away. In all honesty, if she could choose, she would not want to become the Chou'un Shiryuu. She just wanted to live an ordinary life and felt the taste of being an ordinary girl; the grand task of ensuring the safety of the world was too heavy for her to shoulder it. "Naruto-san, if you are here, what will you say to me? Please… tell me. My prayers are unheard. I need some… guidance."

-X-

Since two years ago, Ukitsu would often be accompanied by a lackadaisical blonde at the waterfall. She would train relentless and he would fish at a fishless spot for hours; she believed Naruto was a lost cost, but she had no right to say that to him. In fact, she was starting to grow fond of the blonde, until the boy mysteriously vanished into almost nothingness. She had tried searching for the blonde in town, but nobody had seen the boy before.

Hell, he was like a ghost, like a nonexistence that was not supposed to exist in the world.

Ukitsu shoved away her turbulent thoughts and punched the rock beside her. Within seconds, it had shattered into bits. The tanned girl sat on the ground and examined her fist. "I'm putting too much emotion on that punch. Stupid Naruto. Stupid boys. Always leaving without saying anything."

-X-

A sole figure stood on the top of a building, staring curiously at the crowds beneath him. "Heh! Naruto is back! I wonder how's Kan-chan doing? Or how about Yun-chan? Su-chan? Bi-chan? Oh! Yes, Fu-chan as well. They're all living here. I'm gonna give Mou-chan a surprise first. Off to downtown village!"

In a mirage of a static blur, the blonde vanished.

-X-

Ryomou Shimei was scrubbing the ground panels of her house with a soapy towel and exhaled a tired breath. Twisting and draining water from the cloth into a bucket, Ryomou wiped the beads of sweats away from her temples. Seating idly on the cleaned floor, the blue haired girl leaned against the edge of the door and stared at the trees from her little garden located at her backyard. Her mother was knitting sweaters, planning to sell them when she had collected a pile.

Ryomou's heart ached after Naruto's sudden disappearance; she didn't have the chance to blurt an apology at the blonde. She hated the boy for not even sparing her the chance to do so. Strangely, after the blonde's departure, Ryomou and her mother would receive vast amount of money every month.

The blue haired girl had tried to check the source of that money, but the sender was classified as unknown. Amongst the midst of her thoughts, she knew that the money might have come from Naruto. Was the boy a rich heir who might be the child of a powerful tycoon? Could he be a boy who was trapped in a mansion, unable to see and feel what life was like in the outside world? Was he a trap bird trying to understand the principle of life? She was clueless.

She knew nothing about the boy and for some reason, she missed him deeply.

"R-Ryomou…"

Swirling her sights at her mother, Ryomou stood up and walked towards her mother. "What is it?"

"Could you get me the needle on that table?" It wasn't much of a question.

Ryomou approached the counter beside their small television and seized the needle, only to prick her finger accidentally. "Ouch!"

Her mother widened her eyes in shock. "W-What's wrong? Ryomou?"

"Oh! It's nothing." Hiding her bleeding finger, Ryomou chuckled nervously. "Wait a minute. I'll go to the kitchen to grab something."

Hastily, the blue haired girl entered the kitchen, only to be startled by a certain blonde who was leaning on the refrigerator while sipping a cold glass of milk. Naruto winked at Ryomou and sighed contently at his beverage. "Nice milk. It has been ages since I last drink milk. Nice, little comfy house by the way."

"N-Naru… Naru …" Ryomou staggered.

"Almost forgot. The last time you see me, you don't seem to like me. Sorry about the milk." Naruto smirked before sliding the window open.

"W-Wait!"

The blonde twirled around with a fervent smile plastered on his face. "Yeah?"

"Tell me… are you the one who gave me those money in those envelopes?" Ryomou queried timidly. "It's you, isn't it."

"Doesn't matter." Naruto waved a goodbye. "Have a good life, Mou-chan."

"Why?"

The blonde paused.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Why should I not?"

"I won't accept it." The blue haired girl took a can out from the kitchen counter and handed forcefully to the quizzical blonde. "All the money that you've given to me and my family, I have not used it. Take it!"

Naruto shrugged. "Nah, I came here empty handed. I intend to go empty handed as well. Put that pride aside and accept it. It'll lessen your mother's work. She's ill recently, isn't she? Take the money and go see a doctor. Don't do it for your pride's sake. Do it for her sake."

The blonde grinned fervently and stepped onto the railings. "It's nice seeing you again, Mou-chan. Good day."

In a flash, Naruto disappeared. Ryomou's head sunk in defeat as she was disappointed by the outcome. "How should I find you if I need you, Naruto-kun?"

-X-

It was late afternoon and the sun was setting. It was nostalgic to Chou'un; she spent most of her time appreciating sunsets while chatting joyfully with Naruto. Now that he had disappeared, she was alone once more. After finishing her practice session with her katana, she sheathed her blade with grace and sighed. "I guess this is it for today."

A few claps were heard and the girl twirled around. Much to her surprise, Naruto was leaning against a tree, smirking cheerfully at the silver haired girl. "You're getting very good with the sword, Yun-chan."

Chou'un did something unanticipated that Naruto wouldn't believe; she ran towards the blonde and hugged him. "Where have you been for all these years, Naruto-san?"

The blonde smiled and patted her back with assurance. "There's something urgent overseas that I need to attend. I have to leave Japan for a while. Now that I'm back… wanna catch some ramen while we're at it?"

The girl shook her head. "I cannot leave the temple, Naruto-san. The last time you drag me out, I got punish for a month."

"Aww, then I need to repay the debt." Naruto's eyes flashed an impish glow.

"Nope." Chou'un sat on the bench and the blonde settled down beside her. "But we can have some buns."

Unfurling the paper bag, the silver haired girl took out two buns and handed one to Naruto. The blonde accepted it appreciatively and smirked. "Thanks."

"I have heard rumours that there are other girls looking for you all over town." Chou'un took a delicate bite on her bun and sighed. "And all of them are just like me. They're all fighters in the future."

Naruto's façade shattered momentarily before he replaced his hesitation with a joyous grin. "So… you know their names?

Chou'un nodded vividly. "Yes. Kanu Unchou, Shiba'I Chuutatsu, Ukitsu and Ryomou Shimei. They also say that Ryofu Housen is looking for you as well. Since when did you know all of them? I heard all of them are girls too."

The blonde scratched his head sheepishly. "I didn't know I make them worry."

"I met Kanu-san."

Naruto blinked.

"She's a nice person. We spar occasionally. She's really good with her pole-arm." Chou'un smiled. "She told me your favourite food is bun. I believe it's ramen. We debated for a while and decided to visit the local ramen store to have some ramen. Ramen tastes very good."

"Of course it does. Come, I'll treat you twenty bowls!"

"I can't…"

"Alright!" Naruto stood up. "If you can't go to the ramen store, then I'll just have to bring the ramen store to you. Wait here."

"W-What?"

The blonde sped off to the distant land, leaving a perplexed Chou'un behind.

A few minutes later, Naruto returned while pushing a ramen cart towards the silver haired girl. Confounded by the blonde's effort, Chou'un avoided Naruto's gazes. "I'm in a temple. It's strict rules that I cannot indulge myself… myself…"

Naruto purposely swayed a bowl of pork ramen in front of the girl, smirking deviously as Chou'un smelled the aroma of her favourite ramen flavour. Licking her lips and swallowing her nervous lump in her throat, the silver haired girl grabbed the bowl and stared at it with wide eyes. "Go on, Yun-chan. Eat it. You know you want to."

Unable to resist her temptations any longer, the girl devoured her ramen indignantly.

-X-  
(The next morning…)

Kanu was training diligently at the abandoned temple and was exhausted. Recovering her breathes, the purple haired girl sat on the bench and meditated. The wind was rustling at an unusual tempo. Smoothly, Kanu seized her Green Dragon Crescent Blade and pointed to her right. An entity materialised in static blur beside her and was threatened by the sharp edge of Kanu's pole-arm. "What do you want, jerk?"

"Miss me much, Kan-chan?"

Without hesitation, Kanu roared angrily at the blonde and swung her blade. Naruto sidestepped the assault and was marvelled when the ground was split into halves. The blonde averted his cerulean pair of eyes at his left and kicked the Green Dragon Crescent Blade away before performing a few acrobatic flips to retreat from Kanu's wrath. The girl was unrelenting and proceeded to jump into the sky with her weapon hoisted up high. "I miss killing you, Naruto-baka!"

Naruto grinned. "Still the same old Kan-chan. Come here, I'll show you how it's done."

In a flash, literally, the blonde charged throughout the temple, leaving dozens of afterimages scattered across the battleground. Kanu gritted her teeth before she landed onto the ground and brought her Green Dragon Crescent Blade into a descent brutally. A shockwave erupted, repulsing anything away from Kanu's frame as she channelled her chi into her weapon, augmenting the explosion to tremendous folds. Naruto was awed by Kanu's sudden strength. _"Since when did she become this strong? Heh, Kan-chan, you've grown more awesome each day."_

"I know you know martial arts, Naruto-baka. I know it the first time we spar. You dodge all my attacks without even sweating. Tell me, who exactly are you? What do you want from me?"

Naruto tilted her head in confusion and tapped his chin. "That's not your question, is it?"

Kanu looked onto the cracked ground and narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't matter anymore… I'll punch the answers out of you."

"Didn't I say? Violence isn't the best solution- Whoa!" Naruto ducked from Kanu's kick and snatched her assaulting leg. "Hey, that might kill me, woman!"

"Release me!"

"Nope! Unless you apologi-" The blonde leaped away, dodging another slash from Kanu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade. "Okay, this is it. No more games!"

"Have I riled you up? You're finally on the offensive. Have you acknowledged my strength? Huh?" The purple haired girl darted towards Naruto and raised her weapon. "You will pay for leaving me behind!"

Before the pole-arm managed to stab the blonde, Naruto had swiftly evaded the reckless attack and grabbed Kanu's wrist before halting the girl's momentum. Kanu tried to struggle her way out of Naruto's grip but to no avail was she able to pry off her restrains. "Are you done yet?"

"Shut up!"

What transpired next was totally unexpected; Naruto landed a sultry kiss on Kanu's lips, effectively silencing the girl's rant. After a moment of passion had passed, the blonde pushed the girl away and smiled jubilantly at Kanu. "Have you calmed down now? I guess so. Let's go have some ramen now!"

The girl was dragged away while she remained in a daze mood. _"M-My first kiss…"  
_  
Kanu blushed as she stared at Naruto's backview.

-X-

"S-Stay away from me!" Ryofu screamed while she ran into her bedroom and locked the door with chains. Scurrying into a dark corner, Ryofu hugged her knees and trembled as her tormentor slammed onto the door. "Ryofu-san! Come out of your room this instance! You won't like it if I barge into your room, you bitch! Let me in!"

Ryofu gritted her teeth. "Oh no… the chain is rusty. It's not going to stay like that forever. I… I have to do something."

An idea struck her and the girl stood up promptly before pushing her desk towards the door. Unfortunately, her attempts failed when the chain gave in to the pressure and the door was kicked open. Ryofu gasped and tried to run, only to be snatched by the new landlord of the orphanage and she was thrown onto her bed. The landlord grinned wickedly with perverse intent as he seized the girl's gown and ripped it off. "Ryofu-san, you shouldn't hide those curves from me, you bitch!"

"H-Help! Help me!" Ryofu struggled to push her tormentor away, but her strength was debilitated when the landlord pinned her hands above her head.

"Stop whining, bitch! It'll end soon!"

The green haired girl shut his eyes and screamed. "H-Help… someone… Naru-kun!"

The landlord suddenly stopped his immoral acts. Ryofu opened her eyes and was petrified when the landlord was convulsing vigorously and his head subsequently exploded into a gruesome mess. His beheaded corpses fell beside the green haired girl and Ryofu yelped. She didn't know what was happening but she knew she was saved. Staring at the door of her bedroom, she saw a silhouette wrapped by darkness, due to the blinding light that shined from the outside.

"You call me, Fu-chan?"

"N-Naru-kun?"

"I'm here to get you out of here." Naruto was startled when Ryofu jumped at him and embraced the blonde tightly. She was sobbing into his chest. "W-Where were you? I was finding you… How can you just disappear without even leaving a goodbye? "

"I need to attend to something. I hope that dick didn't take away your virginity."

Ryofu blushed and shook her head in denial.

Naruto chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Let's go. We'll leave this godforsaken place."

"To where? I'm born in the orphanage. I have nowhere to go."

"You can live with me."

"With you?" Ryofu arched a brow. "You have a home?"

"Hey! What do you mean by that?"

The green haired girl giggled. "You dress like a street urchin. It's only normal for me to think that way."

Naruto pouted. "We got no time. Come!"

Ryofu was led by the blonde away from the orphanage. She looked back and sighed sadly before they reached to the exit. The green haired girl was dismayed and flabbergasted by the sight before her. There was a red carpet laid before her and it caused a passage for her to cross to a luxurious black limousine. There were armoured trucks parked behind the grand limo. Guards who were wearing black suits were standing in two parallel formations beside the red carpet, welcoming their master as they yelled in unison. "You've returned, Naruto-sama."

The green haired girl gawked. "A-Am I hearing things?"

"Nope. Ryofu Housen, will you come with me and stay by my side?" Naruto grasped the girl's hand and smiled.

The girl didn't know what to say.

She nodded her head.

-X-

Naruto skipped cheerfully through the streets. Ryofu had fitted in to his household and it was a bliss that she was still smiling. The blonde had overheard that Shiba'i was actually adopted from an orphanage when she was an infant. However, her real parents had found her and brought her back to their wealthy family. It was fortunate that Shiba'i now lived, along with her eight sisters, in a palace directly beside his mansion.

Upon reaching the pink haired girl's house, Naruto pressed the button on the gate and waited impatiently. A voice sounded from the speaker. "Who's this?"

"I have an appointment with Bai-chan! I'm Naruto!"

"Oh! Naruto-dono. Please come in."

The blonde skipped through the gap of the opening gate and greeted the household's butler joyously. "Naruto-dono, Shiba'i-sama is waiting for you in her room. It's upstairs. I'll bring you-"

"Don't worry. I think I know where her room is."

"Oh?" The butler arched a brow. "Have you been here before?"

"Nope. But I don't need to be here to know where she chooses her room. It's most likely on the third floor… and it's located at the far end of the corridor?"

"H-How?"

"Heh." Naruto ambled towards her destination. Ascending the stairs, the blonde examined the infrastructure of the castle and smirked. "Heh, she's one lucky girl."

Approaching the room, Naruto knocked onto the door and chirped. "Bai-chan, you're in this room, right?"

A monotonous voice emerged within the chamber. "Come in."

Naruto twirled open the doorknob and barged into the room indignantly. "Hello!"

Shiba'i, dressed in a black shirt and a casual grey skirt, was lying on her king-size bed, with a book underneath her chin while she stared emotionlessly at the blonde. "What do you need of me? I hope you have something important to discuss with me, Naruto."

"Oh? What are you now? A zombie?"

The pink haired girl narrowed her eyes. "If you have nothing to say to me, get out."

"Oh?" Naruto sat beside Shiba'i's comfortably on the bed and smirked. "What's with you today? I know that's not what you want to say to me."

"You're smart. What do you think I want to say?" Shiba'i eyed the blonde suspiciously. She sat up upright and glared at Naruto. "Speak up."

"You want to ask why I suddenly… left, right?"

"I don't want to know." The pink haired girl climbed out of her bed and slid the book back into the shelf.

Naruto's grin widened. "That's a lie."

"Get on with it then. Stop wasting time. Time is precious."

The blonde switched his attention around the room and saw a dusty old guitar leaning against the wall. "You still keep it, huh?"

Shiba'i followed her visions at Naruto's directed attention and averted her eyes. "Yes. It holds memories."

"Sentimental, huh?" The blonde sighed. "I went overseas to attend something."

Walking towards the pink haired girl, Naruto grasped the girl's shoulders and smiled. However, the girl was awfully quiet. Shiba'i's eyes were blazing a furious golden as her nails were elongating. Naruto was horrified when the pink haired girl's canines were growing fangs. Wrapping both arms around the girl's waist protectively, Naruto shook Shiba'i violently. "Bai-chan! Bai-chan! What's wrong? Tell me! What's happening to you?"

**"K-Kill… blood… must… d-destroy… Sousou… Moutoku… kill…"**

Naruto snapped his attentions at Shiba'i's pale, shaking hands. Black tattoos were carved slowly by an invisible force onto the girl's skin and her hands were bleeding immensely. Naruto ripped his sleeves and wrapped it hastily around her slender arms, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. The tattoos automatically designed themselves into dragon tribal. Naruto was perturbed when the pink haired girl was growling akin to a mindless beast.

In a spur of moment, Shiba'i's hand shot towards the blonde's neck and strangled Naruto in a chokehold. **"This body… this heart… is in love… with you… must destroy… this emotion… rule… the world… kill… Sousou…"**

The blonde gasped for breathes and smirked weakly at the pink haired girl. "Bai-chan… I-I know you're hearing me… I know you're inside… Bai-chan… I won't blame you if you kill me… here… I just need… to tell you… I love… you."

Shiba'i stopped agitating and stared emotionlessly at Naruto. Her eyes had stopped illuminating a sinister yellow and her nails returned its original forms. "Love…?"

A shockwave erupted and sent ripples of air waves scattered throughout their vicinity, blasting off furniture away from their spot. Shiba'i's maniacal form was reverted and she roared blaringly before seizing Naruto's arms. **"Kill… you…"**

"No choice! You force me to do this!" The blonde placed a palm on Shiba'i chest and channelled chi into his hand, pumping the energy into her heart. The girl was agitated initially but her body gradually stopped shifting and her body regained her humanly features. "Bai-chan… are you alright?"

The girl was panting tediously. "W-What… happen?"

"You pull an exorcism at me! What's with the tattoos on your arm?" Shiba'i stared at her arm and was flabbergasted by the exotic dragon marking engraved on her hands. "What's this?"

"You're like possessed by some demon or something. You turn lunatic out of no reason." Naruto wiped the sweats from the girl's forehead with his sleeve and sighed. "What's with you?"

Shiba'i deadpanned. "What's with _you_?"

The girl stared at her chest and the blonde followed suit. Naruto widened his eyes in horror when he realised he was touching Shiba'i's breast. Retracting his offending arm away, Naruto blushed heatedly; the pink haired girl was suppressing her urge to blush as well.

"D-Do you want to stay over for dinner?" Shiba'i asked timidly. "We can get to know each other better. Update about our lives… you know?"

"S-Sure!"

-X-

"Stop bullying him!" A young Sonsaku stood bravely before the bullies in the playground. "If you mess with Koukin, you mess with me!"

Shuuyu Koukin sobbed and hid behind his cousin's back.

"Aww, getting a girl to protect you? How pathetic!" The bullies attacked Sonsaku, smashing her lithe frame onto the ground and brutally kicked her. Koukin was frightened and didn't know what to do to save his cousin.

It was then a boy with raven black hair appeared behind the mob's back. "Oh? Ganging up on a defenceless girl? Do you call yourself men?"

The leader of the bullies, a tall, bulky child swirled his sight at the stranger and walked forward. "Who're you?"

"Uchiha. Uchiha Sasuke." The boy crossed his arms and smirked. "Get lost and die or get beaten by me and die. Choose your fate."

"I choose…" The bully sent a punch at Sasuke abruptly. "Your death!"

Sonsaku coughed as she watched her saviour, standing motionlessly and awaiting for the assault to hit him. "G-Get away! You'll die!"

Koukin shut his eyes; he didn't want to watch the inevitable.

Sasuke raised a finger and blocked the incoming fist effortlessly, much to the dismay of the audiences. "Is that all you got? You call that a punch? Well, I guess a lowlife who picks on little girls and boys can't amount much, can he? Now, I'll show you what an Uchiha is made of."

In split second, Sasuke delivered a swift punch into the boy's stomach and his assault was augmented with electricity. The bully collapsed into a twitching mess. The others accomplices ran away in terror when the dark haired boy glared at them. Sasuke sighed and strolled casually towards Sonsaku. "Are you okay?"

The girl grinned and nodded. "T-Thanks! I'm Sonsaku Hakufu! Nice to meet you!"

"S-Shuuyu Koukin…"

Sasuke deadpanned. "I see you're very manly yourself, Koukin-san.'

Koukin blinked. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, you let a girl fight for you. That's spectacular."

The boy was mocked and tears started to form in his eyes. Sonsaku growled and stood face to face before Sasuke. "Hey! Stop that! You're making Koukin cry!"

"If a man cries at trivial matters then he will amount to nothing."

"He's my friend!" Sonsaku protested

"Then he better grows up and learns how to fight for himself." Sasuke tucked his fists into his pockets and twirled around. "Good day."

Sonsaku pouted and watched the mysterious boy walked away.

-X-

Lee was exploring the foreign environment with an unreal enthusiasm. He was dressed in his trademark green spandex and was strolling proudly in the busy streets. Something caught his eyes and he decided to make a sharp turn into a dark alley and somewhat journeyed into a forest. "I swear I saw a cat here. Where did it go? Yosh! If I can't find the cat by midnight, I will run the entire city with my hands!"

"Oh, I find a prey, dumbass."

"Who's there?" Lee turned around and saw nothing. "Is it you, Tenten?"

"I'm not Tenten, dumbass."

"Who are you then?" Lee arched his thick brows and smiled. "It is not youthful to hide from your opponent! Please show yourself and embrace the love of the springtime of youth!"

"What a dumbass, dumbass." A tanned girl with spiky red hair dropped onto the ground from a tree and smirked as she toyed with her weapons playfully. "You seem strong, dumbass. Are you not Rock Lee?"

"I am. Have you heard of me?"

"Dumbass, you're the strongest junior champion in China. I have heard how you defeated boys twice the size of you. My informer told me that you've returned back to Japan. That's why…" The girl grinned and seized her combat ring with a heated vigour. "I'm gonna kick your ass! That's right, dumbass! I'm the one who lead you here! I am Mokaku and I'm gonna become the leader of the entire Kanto region, dumbass! Prepare to die, dumbass"

"I see." Lee grinned and readied his fighting stance. "Then let see what you got, Mokaku-san. May the springtime of youth empower me!"

-X-

"It's a great day, isn't it, Fu-chan?" Naruto was sitting on a bench in a lively park with Ryofu, licking ice-creams and appreciating the serenity of nature itself. "I hope everyday could be peaceful like this."

The green haired girl nodded. "Yeah, but it's not going to be like that though."

"We all can hope." The blonde grinned.

Meanwhile, Kanu and Chou'un were strolling in the same park coincidentally. They were discussing about the importance of training and balancing diets when the dark haired girl spotted Naruto. Initially, she was enthusiastic but when she saw the girl sitting beside him, stealing a lick from his ice-cream, an unexplained rage surged within her heart. Chou'un noticed Kanu's abnormal silence and followed the girl's gaze, only to see a certain blonde.

Angrily, Kanu stormed towards the couple and yelled. "What are you doing here, Naru-baka?"

"Oh, it's you, Kan-chan. Wanna eat some ice-cream?" Naruto smiled.

"Why are you hanging out with this girl? She's Ryofu Housen!"

Ryofu was irked. "So? I am Ryofu Housen. What of it? You want a piece of me, huh?"

"I'm gonna strangle you!" Kanu exclaimed.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down ladies." Naruto stood in between the girls and cocked a brow of confusion. "What's going on here?"

"Idiot! Don't you get it? She's Ryofu Housen! She's evil!"

Chou'un ambled towards the commotion and sighed. "Hello, Naruto-san."

"Oh! It's you, Yun-chan!"

"Yun-chan?" Kanu and Ryofu arched a brow and stared cynically at an oblivious Chou'un. "Since when are you… Yun-chan?"

"Since the start!" Naruto smirked. "We're good friends, aren't we, Yun-chan?"

The silver haired girl blushed and nodded.

"W-Whatever! Naru-baka, you shouldn't hang out with this menace."

"Menace?" Ryofu growled. "I'll show you menace, you menace!"

"Alright, shut up!" Naruto looked at Kanu and waged his fingers disapprovingly. "You shouldn't act like that to Fu-chan. Ryofu Housen, 1800 years ago, might be evil but the Fu-chan I know is not. And the Kanu Unchou, 1800 years ago, might be egotistic or bloodthirsty but you… wait, you're no different from the you 1800 years ago… so…"

"Are you saying I'm a brute?" Kanu gritted her teeth in frustration.

Ryofu giggled mockingly. "That's exactly what Naru-kun is saying. And when we grow up, Naru-kun promise to marry me and make me his woman."

"W-What? Marriage? Woman?" The black haired woman's cheeks were a shade of pink. Chou'un was flustered as well.

Naruto stroked his chin and mused. "Did I say that?"

"Oh, you're so dead, Naru-baka!" Kanu raised her Green Dragon Crescent Blade and yelled. "Prepare to die, Naru-ba-"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Naruto recognised the familiar voice and deadpanned. "Sasuke. What do you want?"

The raven haired boy strolled towards the blonde with a haughty demeanour and smirked. "It's a shame. You're about to get killed by a girl."

The blonde huffed and retorted. "At least there's a girl trying to kill me. Unlike someone else, a loner and forever is."

Sonsaku ran towards the group and smiled brightly. "Sasuke-chan, you're here! Come join us!"

"Sasuke-chan?" Naruto chuckled. "You know her?"

"I saved her cousin." Sasuke sighed. "She's Sonsaku Hakufu."

"Hello! Nice to meet you." The ditzy girl beamed.

"Sonsaku?" Ryofu, Kanu and Chou'un said in unison, clearly disbelief by Sonsaku's existence.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Son-chan. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I am bastard's good friend."

"Bastard? Are you calling Sasuke-chan a bastard? He's no bastard! If you mess with him, you mess with me!" The girl roared, shaking her fist maliciously at the startled blonde.

Naruto was apathetic. "You sure have one nasty mood-swing. Anyway, this is Ryofu, and this grumpy-lady is Kanu and this cute one is Chou'un."

Ryofu waved her hand and smiled uneasily at the orange haired girl. "Hello."

Kanu sighed. "I am Kanu Unchou."

Chou'un allowed a soft smile to adorn her face as she greeted politely. "I'm Chou'un Shiryuu."

Abruptly, Sasuke appeared before Naruto and delivered a punch at the blonde's face, sending him tumbling onto the ground. Kanu and Ryofu immediately went onto a fighting stance; Chou'un's sword was already unsheathed. Sasuke simply chuckled darkly. "You suck, Naruto. You always suck. That's payback for calling me a bastard."

The blonde stood up on his feet and kicked the air, sending energised blades at Sasuke. The girls retreated and watched as the raven haired boy ducked the assault with ease before his fingers sparkled with electricity. "Oh? Not using your God Speed? Too afraid to show your friends what you got?"

"It's too dangerous to use it here." Naruto diverted his eyes frostily at Kanu. "Don't watch. Stay the hell away from Sasuke and me. We'll level this park soon. If you're busy watching, why not take the time to evacuate the people. Make sure nobody is here. Fu-chan, go home. Yun-chan, help Kan-chan. Son-chan, if your bring friends, get them out of here."

The girls nodded dumbly and did what they're told, except an unwilling Kanu.

Whatever that was going to happen next, it would be big.

-X-

Pairings:  
1.)NarutoXKanu  
2.)NarutoXRyofu  
3.)NarutoXShiryuu  
4.)NarutoXRyomou  
5.)NarutoXUkitsu  
6.)NarutoXShiba'i  
7.)NarutoXBunken

a.)SasukeXSonsaku  
b.)SasukeXGentoku  
c.)SasukeXMoyu  
d.)SasukeXChubo  
e.)SasukeXBunken

I.)LeeXMokaku  
II.)LeeXUkitsu  
III.)LeeXBashoku

please review


End file.
